1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a label producing apparatus for continuously producing RFID tag labels capable of reading or writing RFID tag communicating information from the outside through wireless communication.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are known RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) systems for reading and writing information between a compact RFID tag and a reader (reading device)/writer (writing device) in a non-contact manner. For example, a RFID circuit element, which is disposed to, for example, a label-shaped RFID tag, has an IC circuit part for storing predetermined RFID tag communicating information and an antenna connected to the IC circuit part for transmitting and receiving information. Accordingly, even if the RFID tag is soiled or disposed at an invisible position, the reader/writer can access the RFID tag communicating information of the IC circuit part (can read/write the information), and thus it is expected to use the RFID systems in various fields such as commodity management, inspection process, and the like.
There is known a writer (printer) disclosed in, for example, patent publication 1 as a writer (printer) for writing information to the RFID circuit element. In the conventional technology, a strip-shaped tag medium (base sheet), on which rectangular labels (RFID labels) are bonded at predetermined intervals, is fed out, and when the tag medium passes through a transport path, predetermined RFID tag communicating information created on a device side is transmitted to antennas of RFID circuit elements contained in the respective labels and sequentially written to IC circuit parts (IC chips) connected to the antennas. Thereafter, the labels are transported downstream in a transporting direction, and print information corresponding to the RFID tag communicating information written above is printed to the surface of the RFID labels by a printing device (thermal head), thereby RFID tag labels are completed.    Patent Publication 1: JP,A, 2003-159838 (paragraph Nos. 0011 to 0039, FIG. 1 to FIG. 5)
In the arrangement of the conventional technology, it is contemplated to arrange a tag tape roll as a cartridge so that it can be detachably mounted on a cartridge holder portion on the device side and to replace a tag medium (tag tape) when it is exhausted together with the cartridge so that the tag medium as consumable goods can be easily and readily replenished.
In this case, to write information to the RFID circuit element of the tag medium in the cartridge, the device antenna must be disposed to a position relatively near to the cartridge. However, since the cartridge itself is frequently mounted on and dismounted from the cartridge holder portion, there is a possibility that the mounting/dismounting property of the cartridge and the layout of the cartridge holder portion may be restricted or disturbed depending on a position at which the device antenna is disposed.